Undercover, Again
by princessjoey630
Summary: Set after 'Dog Tags'. Tony and Ziva are sent undercover together again, but this time there is an addition to their family. Who is she? Tiva, Jibbs. Rated T to be sure.
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but Sophie.

NOTE: I changed this chapter a bit. The plotline wasn't working real well.

More chapters coming soon!

* * *

Chapter 1

"Again?" Ziva said. "Pretend to be Tony's wife again?"

"Unlike most undercover missions, you can decline this one. What do you say?" Jenny asked, folding her hands on her desk. She was aware that Gibbs was staring at her from the doorway, so she directed her full attention at the two agents sitting across from her.

"Can we have time to consider?" Tony said, barely managing to conceal the grin that was on his face.

"That's fine. Here are the details", Jenny said, passing Ziva and Tony a folder each. "Let me know by 1800".

"Sure". Ziva and Tony walked over to the door, pausing only to receive a very unreadable expression from Gibbs.

* * *

Once they were gone, Jenny removed her glasses and looked at Gibbs, who had moved to stand opposite her. "Yes Jethro?"

"You remember the last time they went undercover together, Jen?" Gibbs asked. "Or Tony's last undercover mission? Even since that whole Frog assignment started both of my agents were different. That mission changed them".

"They are the best ones for the job, Jethro, and they are allowed to decline the opportunity if they wish. It's their decision", she said, as Gibbs opened his mouth to protest.

"Jen,"

"What?"

Gibbs leaned towards her, putting his hands on the desk. "Do you remember any of our undercover missions?" he said quietly. "You were shot, I was arrested, I was shot, and then we –"

"Enough, Agent Gibbs", Jenny said with a sense of finality, but Gibbs ignored it.

"I don't like sending my agents undercover, Jen, you know that".

"Jethro, as Director, I can do anything that I damn well see fit to", Jenny snapped, standing up. Gibbs glared at her, and walked out, slamming the door.

* * *

_In the squadroom_

Walking down the stairs from the Directors' office, Tony and Ziva were silent. They got to their desks and began reading their mission files.

Ziva laughed out loud. "Mr and Mrs Thompson. At least we are American this time". Tony remained silent, so Ziva just kept snorting at various details of the mission. "Well, I think it will be easy. I am up for it. How about you Tony? Tony?"

"Yeah?"

"What's wrong?"

"Page six".

Ziva flipped open her folder again and read the page in question. "What is wrong with it?"

"We'll have a kid in our custody 'for the duration of the assignment'" Tony quoted.

"And?" Ziva said, clearly not getting the point.

"You and me with a kid?" Tony said in disbelief. "You and me? We are so not kid people".

"You don't know that. We have never been undercover with a child. Come on, it will get us out of the office for a while. Ever since that last stakeout we did Gibbs and the director have been very tense around each other".

"Alright fine. I'll email the director now", Tony said, typing on his keyboard. Ziva grinned and went back to reading the file.

* * *

The mission was fairly straightforward. Tony and Ziva would become Chris and Josie Thompson. They were to be the new people in a small neighborhood. They were to carry out surveillance in their street, but unlike a stakeout, they were to be social with the surrounding people. The whole thing was to track down Chester Savage and monitor his movements, as it was suspected that he had stolen a top-secret computer program from the Navy base. The program was used to decrypt files in the Witness Protection Program, so anyone with new identity could be tracked from their past records.

"Why do we need the kid then?" Tony had asked Jenny when she rang about his email.

"Just to give the image that you and Ziva are the perfect married couple. Ziva's a housewife, you work all day and come home to a clean house and a perfect family".

"Oh yeah, that's not stereotypical", Tony said sarcastically.

"Apparently it's that kind of neighborhood", Jenny replied.

"Does Gibbs know we accepted or……"

"He's aware".

"But he doesn't approve".

Jenny chose to disregard the last part. "Tony?"

"Yes Director?"

"Be careful and good luck".

Tony hung up. He wasn't sure what he was meant to be careful about; the mission, the child, or just being with Ziva. He found that since Jeanne had broken up with him, he had been feeling closer to Ziva, and he was getting the feeling that the feelings were mutual.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

A/N Thanks for all the reviews! I love getting feedback (hint hint)

* * *

Chapter 2

There were three days before they had to go undercover, but neither Ziva nor Tony wanted to take time off. They were forced to, however, on the third day, because Jenny wanted them to spend it with their new child.

They went into Jenny's office and sat down, waiting for her to arrive.

After about ten minutes, Jenny walked in, followed by a girl who looked to be about 9 years old. "Tony, Ziva, this is Sophie," Jenny said, putting her hands on Sophie's shoulders.

"Hi," said Ziva, standing up and going over to them. Tony, seeing Ziva being enthusiastic, followed her lead and stood up as well.

"Hi," Sophie replied brightly. She was very confident being around complete strangers. She brushed a lock of her red-brown hair behind her ear.

"You two will be Sophie's guardians for the assignment's duration," Jenny said, gesturing to the agents. "You three can spend today together so you establish family bonds."

"Alright. Come on Sophie," Ziva said, reaching for her hand.

"Bye Sophie," Jenny said, and she watched the little girl leave with Ziva, followed closely by Tony.

* * *

An hour later, Ziva, Tony and Sophie were eating pizza at the local pizza place. Sophie was a very social kid.

"Last year at school, the hockey team won the grand final. It was fantastic!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air for a dramatic effect. Ziva noticed a pinkish purple rash on Sophie's elbows. After a while, she realised the discoloration was also present on Sophie's hands and left eyelid.

"So you like sports?" Tony asked through a mouthful of cheese.

"I like them, but I don't play them," Sophie said, suddenly subdued. Tony quickly changed the subject.

"Well, it's nearly five. We should get you back to the Director," he said, wiping his hands and motioning to Ziva.

"Yes, she will want to get you back to your parents," Ziva agreed. They packed up and returned to NCIS.

* * *

Gibbs was waiting impatiently at his desk. His two best agents had been gone for the afternoon, and the office was strangely quiet. McGee had been in Abby's lab for a while trying to decipher a coded message sent to Savage from an anonymous email address. Every few minutes Gibbs noticed the Director come out of her office. She would walk to the railing, look at the elevator, then her watch, then walk back to her office, shutting the door behind her. This happened every five minutes for an hour.

The elevator door dinged. Gibbs looked up from his desk.

Tony and Ziva were holding one of Sophie's hands each as she skipped between them. Tony was obviously saying something funny, as the two girls were laughing. Out of the corner of his eye, Gibbs saw Jenny walking down the stairs.

Tony and Ziva came to a halt at their desks, and Jenny arrived shortly after. "How was your day?" she asked.

"Great," said Sophie, her brown eyes sparkling.

"Tony, Ziva, you need to be here at 0830 tomorrow to pick up Sophie and take her to school together. From that point onwards you are Chris and Josie Thompson. You can go home now if you want to prepare if you haven't already," Jenny said. She took Sophie by the hand and together they went to Jenny's office.

Gibbs watched them go. Tony and Ziva remained motionless until Gibbs redirected his gaze to focus on them. "You guys gonna go now?" he asked.

"Well…."

"I guess…."

"If we aren't needed…."

"Both of you. Sit," Gibbs instructed, and the two agents moved their chairs in front of Gibbs's desk and sat. "You two...you two be careful on this assignment," he said, making eye contact with each of them.

"Ok…"

"Sure Boss."

"Alright. Go, both of you," Gibbs said, waving them off. They grabbed their bags and walked to the elevator together.

* * *

Once in the elevator, Ziva began to speak.

"Hey Tony?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you notice Sophie's skin when we were out today?"

"She's a pale color? I dunno, I didn't really pay attention." Tony didn't mention he was too busy watching Ziva.

"She has a rash on her elbows and face and hands. Pinkish purple color. Do you know what it could be?" Ziva asked.

"I'm not a doctor, Ziva, I have no idea," Tony replied, and the elevator doors opened to reveal the parking lot.

"Well, maybe it is no big deal," Ziva said, and they both walked their separate ways to their cars. "See you in the morning," she called, and Tony waved back in response.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

A/N - I have been so happy with all the feedback for this story! Makes me all warm and fuzzy...

I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Chapter 3

Tony and Ziva arrived within seconds of each other at NCIS the following morning. "Ready to become Josie Thompson?" Tony said, closing his car door.

"Absolutely, Chris," Ziva shot back, and they walked together to the elevator.

"Do you think that pretending to be married will be easier this time than the last?" Ziva asked.

"No idea. Last time was pretty fun though," Tony replied. Ziva gave him a glare.

The elevator arrived at their floor. Jenny and Gibbs were already in the squadroom with Sophie, who was occupied with an iPod. Gibbs and Jenny were silent and determinedly not looking at each other.

"Shalom," Ziva said, breaking the silence. Jenny looked at her gratefully and picked up Sophie's backpack.

"Alright, time to go. Good luck with the assignment," Jenny said, handing the bag to Tony. The two agents looked at Gibbs, who nodded. Tony took Sophie's hand and followed Ziva back to the elevator.

"Welcome to the world of parenting," he said, and Ziva grinned.

"Should be interesting," she replied.

Gibbs looked at the elevator just in time to see the two agents smiling at each other before the doors closed. Jenny stood still for a moment, as if waiting for him to say something. When he didn't, she turned and returned to her office.

* * *

That night, Gibbs was in his basement putting the finished touches on his boat. He was distracted, though, by all the thoughts racing in his head.

There were several things troubling him. Jenny was sick. While he hadn't received a straight answer from her, he knew it. She just said her health was fine and changed the subject. Gibbs wanted to know what was wrong with her and why she was keeping it from him. He still cared very much about her.

The other thing that was disturbing him was sending Tony and Ziva undercover together. He knew they were completely capable of defending themselves and making good choices, but still he didn't like them being together. He knew they were both attracted to each other, and was worried they were getting close to breaking Rule 12.

Having a child involved in the mission was making things even more complicated. Sophie was a beautiful child, but she was a bit of a distraction to Gibbs. She resembled Kelly in some ways, which was bringing memories back to Gibbs about his daughter and first wife. It wasn't a big deal, but it was slightly bothersome.

"Hello?" called a voice from upstairs.

"Down here," he called back. He recognized the voice and wasn't looking forward to the conversation that was about to take place.

After several minutes of silence, she spoke.

"Jethro, they will be fine. Tony and Ziva are completely capa-"

"I know that, Director," he snapped.

"Huh. Director. I can see we are being formal here," Jenny replied, sitting down on the chair in the corner. Gibbs continued to work on his boat.

"Look, I don't know what's wrong with you. You weren't nearly this troubled by their last undercover mission," Jenny was struck with a sudden thought. "It's not just Tony and Ziva you're worried about." Gibbs froze. "This is bringing back memories."

"Jen, you don't understand everything, don't make out you do," Gibbs said angrily, now turning to face her. He leant against the boat.

"I'm not, Jethro. Why don't you tell me what's on your mind?" Jenny said, folding her hands in her lap and looking him directly in the eyes.

"You already know what's on my mind, Jenny. I don't need to explain it," he replied. Jenny looked down and scoffed slightly.

"You're still concerned about me," she said lightly.

"You could just tell me what's wrong with you. I know there's something, Abby told me the results of the blood tests."

"God, Jethro, drop it. Did you ever think for a second that they might not be mine?" Jenny snapped, standing up and crossing her arms. Gibbs couldn't think of what to say next. "Exactly. Now you stop making out that you know everything and drop it," she said, and she began walking back up the steps.

She was halfway up when Gibbs called to her "Partners don't keep secrets." He saw her feet freeze on the stairs. She turned around and walked straight up to him.

"Says you, who didn't tell anyone about Shannon and Kelly. If anything, I have a right to keep things from you," she said, standing less than a metre in front of him. For a moment they stood in silence, staring at each other. Jenny broke the stillness and went back up the stairs, not even pausing on the way out. Gibbs heard the door slam and sighed.

* * *

Ziva dished up dinner while Tony closed the curtains. Sophie was sitting at the dinner table trying to do her Maths homework.

"I'm just going to close the curtains in the lounge," Tony said as he left the room.

"Sophie, time for dinner. You've been trying to do that work since you got home three hours ago," Ziva said, trying to take the textbook away.

"Just help me with this one question and I'll be done," Sophie replied, chewing on her pencil.

"Alright, show me what you need to know…."

Tony looked out the lounge room windows. The day had been a success. He and Ziva had dropped off Sophie at school, and then went to their new home. It was a beautiful house with a big backyard and lots of windows, like every other house in the street. Like Jenny had said, all the other families in the vicinity had children and at five o'clock there was a rush of cars in the street, all the men returning from work.

Tony closed the curtains and returned to the kitchen to see Ziva kneeling next to the table with Sophie.

"So, we know that the big hand is minutes, and the little hand is hours. If the big hand is pointing to the two, what does it mean?"

"It's ten past the number that the little hand is right near."

"And what number is that?"

"Ten. Oh! It's ten past ten!" Sophie exclaimed.

"Excellent. Now that that is over, we can eat," Ziva said, taking the book away.

"I just wanna wash my hands first," Sophie said. She hopped off her chair and walked out, passing Tony who was watching from the doorway. "Hi Tony," she said, and kept walking.

When he was sure Sophie was out of earshot, Tony sat down at the table. "She's a good kid."

"Yeah, she is," Ziva replied, putting the plates of pasta on the table. She noticed Tony watching her. "What?"

"You were really good with her today."

"So were you. I was actually surprised."

"Surprised that I can work with kids?"  
"Well, think of the other times we have had a kid at work. That first year I was at NCIS we had that little boy. He thought you were nuts, and he was only six I think. Then there was Carson. He made you look like a fool," Ziva explained, taking her seat opposite Tony. Tony shrugged his shoulders. Sophie came back into the room and they all began to eat.

* * *

Ziva sent Sophie on the bus to school the next day. Tony was just getting out of bed when Ziva walked in. "Sleep well?" she asked.

"You still sound like a drunken sailor with emphysema," he replied blearily. He could have sworn he heard her say 'Hypocrite' but he wasn't sure.

"Alright, so, today, we have to try and locate Savage. Any ideas?" he said.

"I noticed that a car pulled up at about three-thirty this morning at next door. Someone got out of the car and went to the door. A couple of minutes later he returned to the car with a briefcase," Ziva said, sitting on the bed.

"So maybe Chester lives next door and he sold the software."  
"Possibly."

"Let's go meet the neighbor," Tony said. Once he was dressed they walked over to the house and knocked on the door.

There was no answer.

"Huh. No-one's home," Tony said, beginning to turn around.

"Wait, Tony. Look," Ziva said. She was standing at the window. Tony looked at was she was pointing to; an arm outstretched on the carpet. The rest of the body seemed to be concealed by a wall.

"Did you hear any disturbances last night?" Tony asked Ziva.

"No."

"Alright, I'll go in. You keep watch; I don't want to have a cover blown," Tony instructed. He went around the back of the house and kicked open the door.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

A/N Sorry for the lack of update. I am currently working on Chapter 8, so I'll be able to update more often now.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 4

_Previously…….._

"_Alright, I'll go in. You keep watch; I don't want to have a cover blown," Tony instructed. He went around the back of the house and kicked open the door._

Making his way through the house, Tony found the doorway to the front room.

Chester Gregory was lying face down on the floor, surrounded by blood. Tony could see a stab wound on his side. He knelt down and checked for a pulse.

"Zi- Josie!" he called, just managing to correct himself in time. He ran over to the window. "Savage's been stabbed but is still alive. Call 911," he said through the glass. Ziva nodded and pulled her phone from her pocket.

* * *

Tony and Ziva met Gibbs, McGee and Jenny at the hospital. "How is he?" Tony asked.

"Alive. Should be fine," Gibbs said. Ziva noticed he was keeping his distance from Jenny but chose not to say anything.

"Is he awake?"

"Yeah, I'm going in now to question him," Gibbs said, walking over to Savage's room. "You coming?" he said to Ziva and Tony. Ziva began to say yes but Jenny interrupted.

"Ziva, shouldn't you be picking up Sophie from school?" Ziva checked her watch. It was three thirty.

"I'll go get her," Tony said. "I'll see you at the house," he said to Ziva, then headed for the exit.

"He's been really good with Sophie," Ziva told the others. McGee looked surprised, but Gibbs and Jenny's expressions didn't change.

"Well, I'm interrogating Savage now. You two," Gibbs said, indication Ziva and McGee, "are coming with me." He walked off without even looking at Jenny. She sighed.

"I'd better get back to the agency. Keep me updated," she said, and she left also. Ziva and McGee followed Gibbs.

* * *

As soon as Gibbs walked in with an agent on either side, Savage was intimidated. He was sitting up against his pillows in bed, but he still managed to shrink away a bit.

"I'm Special Agent Gibbs, this is Agent McGee and Officer David. We have some questions about the computer software you stole from Washington Naval Base a week ago," Gibbs said.

"I never stole anything," Savage lied weakly.

"Then why were you caught on a surveillance camera leaving the base with a briefcase that day? You didn't enter the building with one," Ziva asked.

"I……was picking up some stuff from a friend," Savage lied again, but he could tell he was busted.

"I managed to decrypt and email you received the day before the software was stolen. Why would someone tell you to…ahem…"get it tomorrow'? McGee said. Savage swallowed, then began to speak.

"Fine, fine, you caught me. I stole the stinkin' software. I was helping out this guy. He said he'd pay me if I got it for him."

"He?"  
"Pay you how much?"

"Two million," Savage said smugly.

"You didn't answer the first question. Who is 'he'?" Gibbs asked.

"What do I get if I tell you?"

"Maybe a reduced sentence," Gibbs said.

"But if you don't tell us," Ziva said, "you'll be looking charges for stealing government property which could concern our homeland security. That won't be taken lightly."

"Ok, ok, I'll tell you the full story. I got a phone call about a month ago from a friend. He wanted to software so he could find this woman. She saw him shoot down two people in the street. She reported him, and he went to jail for assault. He swore he'd come after her, so she was put into the Witness Protection Program. Now he is out of prison and wants to find her. He needs to program to find out her new alias. He thought it would be too risky coming into a federal building himself, so he asked me to do it. I procrastinated against it, but then I got that email. I stole it, then he came over early this morning to pick it up."

"Then what?"

"I gave it to him, then asked for the money. He turned on me with a knife. Stupid idiot," Savage finished. Ziva wasn't sure whether he was referring to himself as an idiot or the mystery man.

"Who is this guy you're talking about?" Gibbs asked.

Savage waited for a moment, then spoke.

"Phillip Remington. Phil."

Gibbs, Ziva and McGee all left the room. "Ziva, get back to your house. We'll keep you and Tony undercover as a precaution. McGee, we'll go back to the agency and find out whatever you can about Remington," Gibbs instructed. They then went their separate ways.

* * *

A/N Thanks to all the reviewers for their praise and feedback!! (hinting again)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I just realized to hadn't put a disclaimer on the other chapters. My bad.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 5

_At the residence of Chris and Josie Thompson_

Ziva arrived home to find Tony and Sophie sitting on the couch. She pulled Tony into the kitchen and updated him on the whole situation. Ziva went back into the lounge to find the couch empty. "Sophie?" Ziva called.

"Bathroom!" Sophie yelled back. Ziva went to the bathroom to see Sophie rubbing cream on her face and arms.

"What's that for?" she asked.

"Rash. This stupid cream is supposed to make it go away," Sophie explained. She screwed the lid back on the tube and left the room. Ziva looked at the tube. It was labeled 'Eucerin'. Puzzled, Ziva went back downstairs.

* * *

That night, Tony and Ziva were both sitting up in bed. Tony was reading, but Ziva was distracted.

"Tony?"

"Yeah?"

"What is Eucerin cream for?"

Tony put down his book and looked at Ziva. "It's a moisturising cream. Why?"

"Sophie was putting it on her rash this afternoon."

"Really? Because when she and I got home from school she was putting Tacrolimus cream on. How many medications is she on?" Tony asked.

Ziva shrugged. "We should ask Jenny. She must know Sophie's parents. She'll know."

"Alright."

* * *

For the next two weeks Tony and Ziva remained undercover. They were rather enjoying themselves, going out shopping together on Tony's days off work, going out to dinner, or just spending time watching television. Before the mission they never really had the chance to spend time together.

Meanwhile, at the agency, McGee had managed to get some information on Remington.

"Remington got a double degree in IT at college," he explained. Gibbs gave him the 'what does that mean' look, so McGee elaborated. "Good with computers, which means he would be capable of running the Witness Protection software."

"Who's the girl he's after?"

"Her original name was Charlotte Brooks, I contacted the FBI asking for her new identity. Still waiting for an answer."

"Why did he shoot the two civilians?"

"Civilians were Justin Matthews and Don Trudeau. Remington claimed that he shot them by accident at first, but then admitted that Matthews and Trudeau were his rivals at college. They mocked him for being a computer geek. Remington got charged with assault and was released from prison six months ago. Now he's after Charlotte."

Gibbs stood up off his chair and went up to the Director's office.

* * *

Jenny was reading some recent case files when her door flew open and Gibbs walked in. She took her time closing the folders and putting down her glasses before looking at him. "Yes Agent Gibbs?"

"Need a favour." She looked at him suspiciously. "For the case," he added.

"Alright…."

"Charlotte Brooks. Remington is after her new identity so he can find her. We need to get to her first," Gibbs explained.

"And you want me to call the FBI and fast-track the request," Jenny said.

"Yep."

They sat in silence until Jenny picked up her phone to make the call. She was about to dial the number when Ziva walked in.

"Ziva! What are you doing here?" Jenny asked, putting the phone back down.

"I need to talk to you about Sophie," Ziva replied, then she looked at Gibbs. Realising he wasn't going to give them privacy, she took a seat opposite Jenny's desk.

"What's the problem?" Jenny asked.

"Tony and I have noticed that Sophie is on at least two medicated creams, Tacrolimus and Eucerin," Ziva explained.

Jenny paled slightly, but didn't lose her composure. "Eucerin is a moisturiser, not a medicine," she said.

"She's using it to treat her skin rash."

"Oh. That. That's just an ordinary skin rash. Nothing to worry about," Jenny said.

"Alright. Well I better get back. McGee updated me when I got here, I'll go tell Tony the changes." Ziva stood up and left.

Jenny sighed quietly. Gibbs made a slight scoffing noise as he walked to the door.

"What?" Jenny asked. Gibbs paused at the door. He turned to face her.

"You're eye twitched throughout that whole conversation," he said.

Jenny shook her head slightly. "I'll get that name for you," she said, reaching for the phone.

"Call McGee when you get it," Gibbs said as he walked out. He now knew for sure the Jenny was keeping at least one secret, and knew it was only a matter of time before they were revealed.

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

A/N Again, thanks for all the reviews and feedback. I'm still getting used to the people-all-around-the-world-could-be-reading-my-stuff thing, but so far it's been great!

* * *

Chapter 6

McGee looked up when he heard Gibbs returning to his desk. "Boss, the Director called while you were in the bathroom. Charlotte's new name is Claire Harrington. Got her address here," he said.

"Let's go," Gibbs said.

* * *

"Chris! Where are you?" Ziva yelled. She knew that if she yelled in the house people would be able to hear her from outside.

"Coming Josie!" she heard him reply. Minutes later Tony was sliding down the banister and landing next to her at the bottom of the stairs.

"Very mature," she said.

"I try."

"I talked to Jenny on the way back from the supermarket. The creams are just for Sophie's rash, apparently it's no big deal."

"Why do I get the feeling that you don't believe the Director?" Tony asked.

"I believe her!" Tony raised his eyebrows. "I do!" Ziva exclaimed.

"Alright then."

Ziva filled Tony in on all the improvements made on the case. Now all they could do was sit in their house and wait for Remington to be caught.

* * *

Gibbs and McGee arrived at Claire's apartment. "Miss Harrington? NCIS," Gibbs called through the door. A woman opened it and looked at them curiously.

"Can I help you?" she asked. Gibbs showed her his badge.

"It would be better if we could explain inside." Claire allowed them in and led them to the living room.

"What's this about?"

"I'm Agent Gibbs, this is Agent McGee. Do you remember a man by the name of Phillip Remington?"

Claire looked confused. "No……"

"Charlotte, we know you're in the Witness Protection Program. You can tell us what you know." Claire looked a bit shocked by Gibbs using her real name, but regained her composure quickly.

"Ok, I do remember him. Kind of hard to forget," she said.

"Has he tried to contact you recently?"

Claire looked scared. "No. Does he know who I am now? Does he know I live here?"

"We don't know. We do know that he's trying to find you though. We have to take you into NCIS custody until we track him down."

"Alright," she said quietly. She quickly packed a bag and within ten minutes they were heading back to NCIS.

* * *

It was four o'clock. Ziva was waiting for Sophie to get home from school off of the bus.

At 4:15, Sophie still wasn't home. Ziva was beginning to worry. She had grown to love Sophie in the time they have been together.

By 5:00, Ziva was beside herself. She rang Tony.

"Ziva? Everything ok?"

"Sophie isn't home yet. She was meant to get here an hour ago. I rang the school, and they told me none of the buses was late or anything."

"Alright, calm down, I'm coming home now."

* * *

Ten minutes later Tony came inside to find Ziva sitting next to the phone with her head on the bench. "Ziva?"

Ziva got up and ran over to him, throwing her arms around him. "Ooph," he said.

"She's not home yet," Ziva said. Tony pulled away to see that she had tears in her eyes.

"I know. We'll find her. Did you call Gibbs?"

"Yeah, just after I called you."

"Alright. Well then we can sit here and he will find her. It's Gibbs. He can do anything," Tony said reassuringly. Ziva hugged him again.

The phone rang. Ziva leapt over to it. "Sophie?"

"Put it on speaker," Tony whispered. Ziva hit the speaker button.

A strange, electronic noise filled the room, followed by a voice.

"I know you know about Charlotte. I know you know I'm after her. And now I'm going to tell you something you don't know. I have your beloved daughter. I'll call back later with some details for you." The line went dead.

"Oh God," Ziva breathed.

"I'll call Gibbs," Tony said, pulling out his phone. "Gibbs, we got a problem here. Remington has Sophie…….."

* * *

A/N Blue button...it's calling you...you know you want to...


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks again for the reviews.

A big thanks to losingmymind2 for your review – I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard (unless you count seeing Tony singing "Come to me, my love" to Ziva. That was hilarious).

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 7

Gibbs was in the elevator. He hit the emergency switch and stood in silence, contemplating the current situation.

Tony had sounded so worried on the phone. All he said was the Remington had Sophie and that Ziva was beside herself. Gibbs hadn't even considered that something like this would happen.

He flicked the switch on again and waiting for the doors to open.

He arrived at his floor and walked past his office area. McGee was talking frantically into his phone.

"I don't know, Abby. All Tony said was the Sophie had been taken."

Gibbs kept walking until he reached the Director's door. He opened it silently and went in.

Jenny wasn't there, which was unusual. Usually she was one of the last in the place to leave. Gibbs could tell she left in a hurry; there were papers still spread across the desk, her coat was on its hook and her phone wasn't completely on the hook.

Gibbs went over and examined the phone more closely. The number of her last incoming call was displayed.

It was DiNozzo.

* * *

Ziva and Tony were curled up together on the couch, Tony resting his chin on the top of Ziva's head. She had been crying since Remington called.

"It'll be alright. We'll get Sophie back," Tony said reassuringly. He was also worried about Sophie, but didn't like seeing Ziva so defeated. It was very unlike her to be crying.

"How could he have traced her to us? How does he even know who we are?"

"Maybe he's been keeping surveillance on us and pegged us for agents."

"More likely that he saw me watching him from the window and took Sophie so we wouldn't say anything," Ziva said, wiping a tear from her cheek.

"Come on, let's go have dinner," Tony said in an effort to distract her. He took her hand and led her to the kitchen.

* * *

"We find Remington, we find Sophie. I don't care how you do it, McGee, just get it done," Gibbs instructed into his phone. He hung up and got out of the car. The residential area that he was in was very quiet, and a few houses had their lights on already.

He got to the front door and knocked.

"Senor Gibbs!" Noemi said in surprise when she answered.

"Director in?"

"_Si_, but she asked not to be disturbed."

"It's important," he replied. Noemi stepped aside and allowed him entry into the foyer.

"I'll go and get her," Noemi said once she closed the door. She walked quietly up the stairs, leaving Gibbs standing awkwardly near the staircase.

A moment later he heard footsteps and then Jenny appeared at the top of the stairs. "This had better he important, Jethro," she said as she descended. "I was right in the middle of something." She came to a halt directly in front of him.

Gibbs took one look at her and knew that she'd been crying. Her eyes were red and her cheeks had fading red blotches on them.

"I take it you heard about Sophie?" Gibbs asked.

"Of course I did. DiNozzo called just after he called you." A tear was on the verge of falling, so Gibbs passed her a tissue from the box next to him. "Thanks," she replied. She began walking to her study, Gibbs following right behind her. The silence was almost eerie.

Once they were both in the study, Gibbs sat down opposite her at the desk. "What aren't you telling me, Jen?" he said.

"Nothing," she replied, but she knew her lies were fading fast.

Gibbs sat in silence again. On one had, he wanted to force the truth from her. On the other hand, pushing her might cause he to become less likely to tell.

"Jenny?"

She stood up and turned so that she wasn't directly facing him. "Damn it," she said. She wiped her eyes again and took a deep breath.

"Those blood tests, the ones that Ducky had Abby do. They were a favour for me, but they aren't mine."

"The whose are they?"

Jenny paused again. "Sophie's."

"As in the Sophie that you placed undercover with DiNozzo and David?"

"Enough with the guilt trip, Jethro. Believe me, no-one feels worse than I do right now."

"Why did you have blood tests done on Sophie?"

Jenny faced him directly now.

"Because she's my daughter."

* * *

#insert dramatic music here#

…

Review please!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Tony and Ziva ate in silence. Ziva was blaming herself for the whole situation.

She put down her fork. "I should have picked her up from school. I shouldn't have let her go on the bus. I failed as her mother."

Tony swallowed his food. "Ziva, you didn't fail. It isn't your fault."

"Then whose fault is it, Tony?" Ziva half shouted. She stood up and left the table.

Tony packed up the dishes and cleaned the kitchen so Ziva could be alone for a while. Once he had finished, he went upstairs to find her.

"Ziva?" he called softly down the hall. He received no reply, but saw the bedroom door was ajar.

Inside Ziva was asleep on the bed. Tony went over and put a blanket over her.

Ziva awoke with a start.

"I didn't mean to wake you," Tony said apologetically. "I just didn't want you to get cold."

"Thanks," she replied. She sat up and wrapped the blanket around herself.

"You ok now?" Tony said carefully.

"I am fine. I just snapped a bit," Ziva replied.

"You didn't fail her as her mother."

"Feels like I did."

"You were a great parent," Tony said, leaning back on the wall. "The other day when she came home crying because those kids were picking on her? Within three minutes you had her laughing. You were great," Tony repeated.

Ziva blushed slightly, smiling at the recent memory. "You weren't so bad either," she said.

Tony sat next to her on the bed. "We've been doing alright ourselves."

"How?"

"As a married couple."

"Right."

Tony turned to face her, sensing an opportunity. "How about tomorrow night, we both dress up and go for a night on the town. The whole cliché thing."  
Ziva grinned. "That's a great idea, Tony…."

"But?"

"But maybe we should wait until this whole mission is over." Tony snorted silently. "But that doesn't mean I'm not interested," she added, causing Tony to grin.

"Good," he replied. The silence was then broken by the sound of his phone ringing downstairs. With one last look at Ziva, he left the room.

* * *

_At the Director's house…._

Gibbs was stunned. "What?"

"Sophie is my daughter," Jenny replied. In a way she was relieved that the secret was finally out, but she was scared about his reaction.

"So your lecture about me keeping my first wife and daughter a secret from you was a load of-" Gibbs was struck by a sudden thought. "How old is she?"  
"Nine," Jenny said, hoping he could put two and two together without her having to explain.

"Jenny," Gibbs said slowly, preparing himself for the answer. "Who is her father?"

Jenny bit her lip. Busted. She sat down opposite him at her desk again. "Jethro, you need to understand something. I-"  
"Who?" Gibbs said impatiently.

"You really want to know?"

"Yeah."

"You are."

He thought he was prepared for it, but he wasn't. Sophie, the little girl who was now missing, was his daughter. Jenny's daughter. Their daughter.

"Before you say anything, Jethro, let me explain," Jenny began frantically. "Please," she added in an attempt to get back on his good side.

For the first time in a long time Gibbs stayed silent and allowed someone else to have a say. He nodded at her, letting her begin.

"I can't even think where to start," she said. "Ok, ok, ok, I'll think of something," she added quickly when he opened his mouth to speak. He wanted the full truthful story, and he wanted it fairly soon.

"You remember in the letter I left for you? How it said that I needed to do what was best for me? At the time I thought it was getting away from everyone and clearing my head.

"I knew what you were going to ask me."

Gibbs looked her in the eye, and had a sudden flashback.

_It was all set. The ring was in a closed box in his desk drawer. He had made the reservations. They had arrived back in Washington the previous day. They would be leaving the NCIS Headquarters together and heading to the restaurant. Then he would ask her._

_Gibbs hadn't thought he could be this happy with someone else since Shannon had died, but he was wrong. Jenny made him happy._

_All he had told her was that he was taking her out after work that day. It was almost time._

_He walked out of the men's' room, where he had gotten changed, to find her at his desk, ruffling though some papers. "Oh, Jethro. I was just looking for my case report that I gave you this morning. I just remembered some things I was meant put on it."_

_Gibbs went to his desk and passed it to her. "Everything alright Jen?"_

"_Yeah," she replied, but she seemed very distracted and falsely chirpy. "I have to go. Goodbye, Jethro," she said, kissing him on the cheek. She walked quickly to the elevator and departed, leaving Gibbs standing speechless at his desk surrounded by paper. He opened the draw._

_The box was open with the ring on display._

"I didn't hear from you for a week, Jenny. Then I got the letter," Gibbs said, snapping out of the memory.

"Shush!" Jenny exclaimed. Gibbs fell silent again.

"Alright, so, you know. I found the ring in your draw.

"To tell the truth, I freaked out a bit. Everything was going so fast. I just wanted to get out and clear my head," Jenny repeated.

"Jen, are you going to get to the part about Sophie being our daughter any time soon?"

"Alright, alright. Jeez," Jenny said to herself.

"After I left you, which I am sorry about, by the way. I just ran and I didn't know how to come back. I'm sorry," she said sincerely. "After I left you, I went to New York for a while. I found out about Sophie after about two months. I couldn't go back to you-"

"Why not?"

"How could I? Just show up in your basement, say 'Hi Jethro, I'm back even though I left you when you were on the verge of proposing and I'm pregnant with your baby'?" Jenny said dramatically. "That would have been just great."

"So instead you……"

"Stayed in New York. Had Sophie. I took leave from NCIS for three years. I lived in Europe for a while. That's when I met Ziva, when I was temporarily stationed in Israel on those anti-terrorism ops. And in case you're wondering, she doesn't know about Sophie being my daughter."

"You could have sent me a letter," Gibbs said half-sarcastically.

"I made a decision after Ziva saved my life in Cairo," Jenny said, ignoring Gibbs. "I decided that I would keep Sophie a secret so she would never be threatened like I was. We moved back here, and since then she has been attending school and living a normal life. Noemi often takes care of her when I work late," she explained.

"What's with the blood tests?"

Jenny started to cry a little bit, but managed to keep it under control. "A year ago, Sophie was diagnosed with juvenile dermatomyositis. Basically her immune system is attacking her blood vessels, which causes her muscles to swell."

"The rash?"

"A symptom. She can't do much physical activity. It hurts too much for her sometimes."

"Why did you have the tests done if you already knew that she was sick?" Gibbs asked. He was beginning to be very concerned about Sophie.

"The treatment seemed to be working. I needed the tests done to see how well it was working. I had Ducky do it because I really wanted the results asap. My little girl was going to be cured," Jenny said, tears now welling up in her eyes. "But instead the tests showed she wasn't getting better at all. There was no change whatsoever."

"Jenny, you should have told me."

"I know that now. You know I'm not one for regrets but this is one time I wish that I could go back and change everything."

Gibbs stood up and walked over to her. She fell against his chest, crying silently but openly.

"We'll find her. I promise you that," Gibbs said. He had snapped right back to mission mode; he had to find Sophie, and fast.

* * *

A/N This was the hardest chapter to write so far. I tried so hard to get Jenny and Gibbs to stay in character, but I think I failed a bit.

Hope you enjoyed it though. Please review, I'd love your feedback.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"What have you got McGee?" Tony said when he arrived at the office. McGee had called him saying he had a lead.

"Remington's car was found abandoned near Sophie's school. Local cops had taped off the area and are patrolling the area."

"We don't even know that Remington used his car in the kidnapping," Tony said, dumping his bag behind his desk. "He might have just walked up behind her on the way to the bus."

"I tracked his credit cards. Nothing in the last four days," McGee continued.

"There had to be something. No-one is completely untraceable," Tony said. "He's out there somewhere."

"Tony!" Abby exclaimed when she came into the squadroom. She gave Tony a big hug, but remembered to let go quickly before he suffocated. "I think I found where Remington could be!"

"How?"

"Last year he bought a block of land in the middle of nowhere. About six months later 15,000 was withdrawn from his account," Abby explained as the three of them went down to her lab. "I traced where the money was sent to, it was a construction company downtown. I called and they said they did some work for someone called Tom Gephilrinn. Guess what that's an acronym for?"

"Phil Remington."

"Right! The guy at the construction company told me all they built was a shed out at the place. Here's the address," she said, slapping a sticky note onto Tony's shoulder. Tony went to leave the room but Abby grabbed his hand. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, Sophie going missing, and she was being yours and Ziva's daughter……."

Tony looked pointedly at McGee. "I'll just go get the car ready," he said, and quickly walked out. Tony turned to face Abby again.

"I'm worried about her. She wouldn't know the first thing about self-defence or anything. Not that we'd expect her to."

"Is Ziva ok?" Abby said, transferring her weight from one foot to the other.

"She's fine," Tony said. Abby raised her eyebrows. "I have never seen her like this before," Tony confessed flatly.

"Give this to her the next time you see her," Abby said, handing Tony a Berry Mango Madness.

"What about m-"

"I would never forget you," Abby said. She handed him a paper bag. "Jam donut and serviettes, just in case."

"Thanks Abs."

* * *

Jenny and Gibbs stepped into the NCIS elevator. "I'm still not sure I'm going to do any good being here, Jethro," Jenny said.

"It'll be easier than sitting at home doing nothing," Gibbs replied.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about- "

"Yeah, I know."

"Jethro, really. You should have had a chance to be there for her."

"Well yeah, I know that. You can't change what's happened. All we can do now is find Sophie so maybe I can have that chance," Gibbs said. The elevator doors opened at their floor and they were nearly crushed by an incoming Tony and McGee.

"Oh, sorry Boss," Tony said, just managing to keep a hold on Ziva's drink and his donut bag.

"Get in the elevator DiNozzo."

"Right."

Once the elevator doors were closed, Gibbs hit the emergency switch.

"Jethro, seriously, enough with shutting down the elevator. The maintenance bill is costing a fortune."

"Where are you two going?" Gibbs asked, ignoring Jenny's comment.

"Abby got a hit on where Remington could be." By the time McGee had finished explaining their discovery, Jenny was bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Alright, I'll come with you to the shed. You," Gibbs said to Jenny, who instantly froze. "You stay here."

Jenny looked appalled. She leaned in to him. "Gibbs, this is our daughter we are talking about. I have a right to help find her," she whispered into his ear. Tony and McGee looked at each other, wondering what was being said between their bosses.

Gibbs looked at Jenny and knew he wouldn't be able to win. "Fine," he said.

"Can we stop off at the house on the way there? I need to see Ziva," Tony said innocently. Gibbs looked at him and nodded. He set the elevator in motion again and they headed for the parking lot.

* * *

"Tony, what are you all doing here?" Ziva hissed when she answered the door, seeing Gibbs, Jenny, McGee and Tony all standing there. "You'll blow our cover!"

"Your cover is not our primary concern at the moment Ziva," Gibbs said, stepping inside.

Once they were all standing in the lounge room, McGee updated Ziva. "So you think Remington is holding Sophie hostage?" she asked.

"It's been less than 48 hours, it's very likely," McGee said. Overall he was the only one not personally involved in the case now, so he was the only one comfortable saying how likely it was that Sophie was still breathing.

"Alright, let's go," Gibbs said. Jenny was the first out the door, followed by McGee. Gibbs waited for Tony, but he stood still next to Ziva.

"Just give me a second Boss," he said. Gibbs nodded and headed outside.

"Abby sent his for you," Tony said to Ziva, pulling the Berry Mango Madness out of his backpack and giving it to her.

"I'll call her later and thank her," Ziva said, setting it down on the table.

Tony scrutinised her slightly. "You alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, I am fine," she replied, giving him a false smile. He could see straight through her act, and raised his eyebrows. She blushed. "Alright, I am not fine. I'm worried about Sophie."

"We'll find her. I promise." Tony leaned in and kissed her on the forehead, like they had done it every day for years. As he turned to leave, Ziva grabbed his hand and pulled him back, and kissed him on the lips.

Five seconds passed, and Ziva relinquished his hand and let him leave. "Be careful!" she called after him.

Tony got to the door before being slapped over the head. Gibbs was standing against the wall outside. "Rule 12," he said.

"Gibbs, there are some things you can't control," Tony replied, barely managing to conceal the grin on his face. He had gotten the girl.

"If this messes with anything at work-"

"You'll be the first to point out how wrong it is. I know," Tony said. He headed towards the car and got in. Gibbs sighed a followed, trying to get his focus back on the case.

* * *

A/N TIVA! TIVA! TIVA!

Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing. I really want to get this story done by the time 'Judgement Day' airs. I'm actually dreading the season finale episode, but I want to know what happens.

Please keep reviewing!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Gibbs pulled the car up about fifty metres from the shed. The area was mostly bushland, except for the clearing around the shed.

"Can't see any cars around," McGee said. Once they were all geared up, they circled the building.

Jenny found a door around the back. "There!" she said, but was quickly shushed by Gibbs. "DiNozzo, McGee, wait around here for my signal. We're going in," he told them. They dutifully obeyed. "Ready to save our girl?" Gibbs asked Jenny. She smiled and nodded. Gibbs kicked the door open.

Inside it was dark. Guns in their hands, Jenny and Gibbs advanced into the room further.

Gibbs heard a rustle. "You hear that?" he whispered.

"Yeah," he heard Jenny's whispered reply.

Suddenly, a shot was fired. Jenny moved to the right, Gibbs to the left, guns drawn. "Who's there?" yelled a voice from deeper in the room.

"NCIS! Remington, come out with your hands up!" Gibbs yelled back. He heard footsteps, but they weren't coming closer.

"All I wanted was Charlotte to pay for what she did, but then you guys had to intervene."

"You want to punish her because she did the right thing in reporting you?" Gibbs said. Remington didn't reply. Instead he fired his gun again.

Tony and McGee burst through the door, guns drawn ready to shoot. The shed was illuminated by the open door, and Gibbs now saw Remington with a gun in each hand, aimed straight at the doorway.

Bullets began flying everywhere; most of them from Remington's automatic that he hadn't shot before now. After thirty seconds of non-stop gunfire, Remington ceased shooting. "Get him," Gibbs said, assuming that Remington was now out of bullets.

McGee walked forwards and looked. "He's not here!" he exclaimed in disbelief. Gibbs went over to him and saw the Remington had somehow escaped. "Over here," McGee said, pointing at the wall. There was a small hole that was concealed from the outside in it.

"Damn it!" Gibbs said. He heard Jenny over the other side of the boxes and went over to her. She was holding something pink.

"Her jacket. She's not here," she said, as if not sure what to do next.

"Boss!" Gibbs heard McGee yell in panic. Both Jenny and Gibbs ran to where McGee was kneeling on the floor.

"What?"

McGee didn't answer; he was too busy trying to stop the blood that was streaming from the midsection of an unconscious Tony.

Ziva burst through the glass double doors and came to an abrupt stop when she saw Gibbs. "Gibbs!" she called out. He stopped pacing and waved her over.

"Is he alright?" she asked when she got to him.

"He's in surgery now. They haven't come to give us an update yet," Gibbs replied. McGee was sitting in the corner trying to reassure Abby that he would call her when they knew anything, and Jenny was pacing behind Gibbs.

"I should have gone with you. I shouldn't have stayed at the house," Ziva said, breathing out of rhythm.

"Ziva, calm down a bit. We're all worried, but working yourself up isn't going to do much," Jenny said. "Come with me, we'll get coffee."

Gibbs pushed Ziva over to Jenny, and they headed to the cafeteria.  
"I can't believe this. I should have been there," Ziva repeated. "He's my partner."

"Ziva, first of all, we all know that you and Tony are more than partners. We established that a while ago. It was a bit obvious"

Ziva stopped walking. "If you knew why didn't Gibbs say anything?"

"Because that's what Gibbs does. He waits until he has confirmatory evidence before he acts," Jenny explained. Ziva ran her hands through her hair.

"This mission has been a disaster," Ziva said. "First Sophie being taken, now Tony being shot. How can things be worse?"

Jenny put some money into the vending machine and watched as a fine trickle of coffee began falling into the styrofoam cup. They stood in silence, listening to the various noises of the hospital.

Once the coffee was ready, they headed back to where they had left Gibbs and McGee, except now they weren't there. Ziva walked further up the corridor, trying to find them.

"Ziva! In here," Jenny called, pointing into one of the patient rooms. Ziva went over and looked inside.

Tony was sitting up in the bed, awake and alert. Gibbs was talking to him, with McGee and Jenny now watching.

"Tony," Ziva breathed. He lifted his head and saw her. He smiled.

Dropping the coffee on the floor, Ziva practically ran to him and flung her arms around him, her hair completely covering his face.

"I think that's our queue to leave," Jenny whispered, motioning for Gibbs and McGee to follow her out of the room.

Ziva released Tony after a minute, and stood next to his bed. "I told you to be careful, and then you go and get shot!" she scolded.

"Well yeah, I deliberately jumped in front of a bullet," he replied sarcastically, but he was still smiling.

"You ever do that to me again, and I will-"

"Ziva, I'm going to be fine. Doctor said I'll be out of here in a week, two at the very most," Tony said. He reached for her hand and pulled her down so now she was sitting next to him. "Gibbs knows about us," he revealed.

"So does the Director. And possibly the whole of NCIS, now that I think about it."

"How?"

"Apparently it was obvious." Tony began laughing, Ziva joining in seconds later. She leant in to him and they kissed again.

Gibbs stood outside of Tony's room, watching them through the window. "Why I ought to-"

"Gibbs, we all knew it would happen. Just accept it," Jenny said impatiently. McGee had gone off to replace the coffee that Ziva had dropped, so it was safe for Jenny and Gibbs to talk.

Jenny was starting to fall apart again. "Jethro, she's been without her medication for almost two days. That's never happened before."

"We'll find her. The team who is at the scene now will find something," Gibbs replied, now starting to worry more himself. His little girl, who he barely knew, could be on the verge of being gone forever.

A phone began ringing. "You gonna get that?" Jenny said, nodding at his pocket. Gibbs pulled out his phone

"Yeah, Gibbs."  
"Gibbs, it's Abby. We got another location where Remington could be."

"On our way," Gibbs said. "Let's go get her," he said to Jenny, and together they walked out the doors.

A/N Ok, so not much really on finding Sophie, but I really wanted to write a Tiva-centric chapter.

Please review!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"McGee is going back to the lab to go over evidence with Abby, Ziva is staying with Tony," Jenny said, hanging up her phone. Even though Gibbs was driving, she was very at ease in the car. Gibbs didn't answer; he was too busy trying to dodge the traffic.

"Turn here," Jenny said, pointing. "I can't believe that in even in ten years your driving style hasn't changed a bit."

"Ha," Gibbs replied. "Alright, we're here. Let's go."

They got out of the car and headed towards the house. The rest of the street was empty.

They got to the door and saw that it was already open. Walking inside, Gibbs motioned for Jenny to take one side while he took the other. "Clear!" he called once he had checked the kitchen.

"Jethro!"

Gibbs ran towards where Jenny had called from. He found her kneeling next to the body of Phillip Remington. "He's been shot." Jenny said, looking over at Gibbs.

"They found his blood at the shed scene. One of us probably hit him," Gibbs said. Jenny froze when there was a noise from upstairs. "I'll check it out," Gibbs said. "You call Ducky." Jenny pulled out her phone as Gibbs made his way upstairs and into a bedroom.

Sophie was sitting on the bed, hands behind her back and a piece of tape over her mouth. "Oh, God," Gibbs said, rushing forwards to her. He pulled off the tape and began working on her hands.

"I'm…..," Gibbs began, but he didn't know how to introduce himself. Did she know he was her father?

"Daddy," Sophie said. Gibbs looked towards the door.

"Jenny!" he yelled.

Jenny came running up the stairs. "Sophie!" she exclaimed. She helped Gibbs untie Sophie's hands and pulled her into a hug. Gibbs sat down against the bed, watching the mother and daughter reunite.

* * *

Twenty minutes later Ducky and McGee were at the scene. Gibbs was leaning against his car, drinking the coffee that McGee had bought for him.

While Ducky began checking Sophie over, Jenny went over to Gibbs. "We found her."

"Yeah. We did," he replied. He looked at her. "Sophie knew who I was."

"She's seen photos the photos of us in Positano," Jenny explained.

"She saw me the other day when you brought her into NCIS. She didn't say anything."

"I told her not to. She does anything I tell her to," Jenny said.

"Good kid."

Jenny smiled. "She's like you. Stubborn sometimes, but really knows when to do the right thing. She-" Jenny began, but she was interrupted by Ducky, who had appeared next to Gibbs.

"Everything alright Duck?"

"Sophie needs her medication, and fast. She's having extreme difficulty with moving."

"I'll take her to the hospital," Jenny said, walking off towards Sophie.

* * *

Ziva stood facing the wall, and dialled Gibbs's number on her phone. "Gibbs? Anything new?"

"Got Sophie. Jenny's taking her to the hospital now."

"She's injured?"

"No, just needs her medication. She has a muscle disorder," Gibbs explained briefly, not wanting to get into the details at that moment.

"I'll go tell Tony," Ziva said, hanging up.

"Update?" Tony said from the bed.

"Sophie's alright. Jenny's taking care of her," Ziva replied.

"Can you pass me my water? I would do it myself, but my wound here prevents it," Tony asked, giving Ziva a begging look. Smirking, she obliged.

"Tony!" came a loud voice from the door. Abby had appeared. "Are you alright? What did the doctor say? Are you gonna be able to come back to work? Just field work or will you be stuck at your desk?"

"Abby, I'm fine," Tony said. Ziva snorted and took his water away from him. "Hey!"

"Get it yourself if you're so fine," she replied. "I'm going to go into the office for a while. You two be good."

"Bye," Abby said, putting down her bag. While Abby's attention was diverted, Tony grabbed Ziva's hand and pulled her in for a quick kiss on the cheek. Grinning, Ziva left the room.

* * *

Jenny was in the kitchen, making some coffee. She was in desperate need of caffeine after the last couple of days. Sophie was upstairs in her bedroom, having had her medication at the hospital. She kept on falling asleep in the car on the way home, so Jenny sent her straight to bed when they got home.

The doorbell rang. Taking a quick sip of her drink, Jenny went through to the foyer and answered the door. "Hi."

"How is she?"

"She's fine," Jenny replied, but she could tell he didn't believe her. "Really, Jethro, she's fine. She's upstairs sleeping. Come see for yourself."

"Jen, I-"

"Come on," Jenny said impatiently, closing the door. She grabbed his hand and led him upstairs. When they came to the door, she opened it quietly and allowed Gibbs to see what was inside.

Sophie was fast asleep under the covers, hugging her pillow. Her long hair was fanned out on her pillow and a book lay abandoned on the floor.

"She gets that from me."

"What?" Gibbs whispered back.

"Reading when she should be sleeping," Jenny replied, remembering her first night after she was made Director of NCIS; she was going over paperwork late at night when Gibbs had arrived to take her out on a mission.

"She seems like a strong kid."

Jenny closed the door and looked at Gibbs. "What do you mean?"

"After you got shot when we in the Czech Republic, and we couldn't get you to a hospital for over a day, you were still doing everything normally. I know this isn't the same thing," Gibbs said as Jenny opened her mouth to protest. "But this just reminded me of that."

"I want you to be part of her life now. I now how good you are with kids. I shouldn't have denied you that opportunity before now, but now that you know it could be a good thing."

"Jenny, I don't know-"

"Jethro, she is your daughter. I've seen the way you looked at the children that NCIS has to care for. Zach, Carson, you even treated Maddie as your own. I know she isn't a child, but you were there for her like a parent would be. Please, Sophie is your daughter," Jenny almost pleaded. Gibbs ran his hand over his face.

"I'll see what I can do."

Jenny stood up on tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you," she said. She began making her way down the stairs, followed by Gibbs.

"Can I have my coffee now?"

Gibbs grinned. "Sure."

* * *

_Eight days later….._

It was midnight. Ziva was sitting in her apartment, finishing up some paperwork.

The Remington case was closed. The software was found in the house that Sophie had been found in, Charlotte was able to come out of the Witness Protection Program altogether, and Ducky had confirmed that Remington had died from a gunshot to the arm, the bullet of which had come from Jenny's gun. "Justice," Jenny had said.

After everything was solved, Jenny had McGee and Ziva all meet in Tony's hospital room and revealed to them the secrets about Sophie, about her medical condition and Gibbs being her father. All three agents had been shocked, but grew to accept it. Jenny had spared them the intimate details about her and Gibbs's relationship in Paris, but they all got the general picture.

Ziva was just closing up a folder when there was a knock on the door. "Who is it?" she called, getting up off the couch.

"It's me!"

"Who is 'me'?" she replied with curiosity. She opened the door and Tony was leaning against her doorframe. "Tony!"

"Hi," he replied, walking inside as she stepped out of the way.

Once she had closed the door, she went over to where he was sitting on the couch. "When did you get discharged?"

"This afternoon. I was with Gibbs and Jenny at her house for a while. They kicked me out after a few hours. Something about the three of them going to a movie. Quality family time," he added. "Then I went to my apartment for bit, then I came here. Surprise!" he said, throwing his arms out wide.

"So you're alright? You'll be coming back to work?" Ziva said, barely managing to conceal her enthusiasm.

"Yeah. I'm back," he said. Ziva leaned over and kissed him.

"That's fantastic," she said when they broke apart. Tony looked at her with a very serious look on his face. "What?" she asked.

"Can we go on our date now?"

* * *


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Epilogue

_One year later…._

Tony and Ziva arrived in the squadroom together, laughing at some joke that Tony had told. McGee was sitting at his desk with Abby leaning over his shoulder.

"Hi guys," Abby said. Tony and Ziva nodded in reply and sat at their desks, Ziva still giggling quietly. She brushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

"What's that?" Abby said. Ziva froze.

"What is what?" Ziva replied.

"That sparkly thing on your finger…..oh my God!" Abby shrieked, jumping up and down. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! Timmy! Look!"

"Look at what?" McGee asked.

"Ziva's ring! Look! Look look look!" Abby said. Ziva smiled and held up her hand for McGee to see. He stared at the diamond ring that was glinting in the light.

"Congratulations," McGee said, standing up from behind his desk. He went over and shook Tony's hand. "When did you ask her?"

"This morning, Probie. Great way to start the day," Tony said. Ziva threw a piece of paper at him.

"Hey! No throwing paper in the squadroom," came a voice from above. The agents turned around to see Gibbs and Jenny upstairs near the railing.

"Yes Boss," Tony replied obediently. Gibbs and Jenny turned and walked together to Jenny's office.

"Ever since they got married they have been inseparable," Ziva said.

"Well yeah. They loved each other, they already had a kid, all that was left to do was to get married," Abby said.

The elevator door opened, and a now ten-year-old Sophie came running into the squadroom. "Tony!" she exclaimed.

"What?"

"I did it! I made the hockey team!" Sophie explained excitedly. Tony gave her a high five.

"Fantastic. Told you you could," he said.

"And the rash is gone, see?" Sophie said, displaying her arms for them all to see.

"The treatment worked then?" Ziva asked.

"Yep."

Abby went over to Sophie. "Let's go see your mum and dad," she said. McGee followed them.

"Are you happy, Ziva?" Tony asked once everyone was gone.

Ziva smiled. "Beyond words."

Tony got up and pulled Ziva in for another kiss.

The End.

* * *

A/N I had a great time writing this story. It's the first multi-chapter fic I've written.

Thank you to all of the reviewers and the people who kept coming back to read the new chapters. I am currently writing a sequel to this story, and I hope to have as much fun writing the next one as I did writing this one.


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